Honestly, just please quit
by BitterPixieBro
Summary: Another entirely self-indulgent fic. Ando Phthonos eldest child of Isono/Roland is struggling and refuses to ask for help. Will be multi-part. Shipping may occur in later chapters (undecided). If it's there it'll be poly. Please leave a review, maybe?


Nights were usually the same.

Same people.

Same orders.

Same conversations.

Same drama.

Ando Phthonos worked the early shift at what was possibly the worst middle class bar the city had to offer. The people who frequented this place were by no means the sleeze that would be found sleeping on a park bench (on bad nights, that may change). The regulars here were mostly paper pushers, sometimes the occasional convenience store clerk, or gas station attendant (but those only came by on pay days). Supposedly, this place had once been a hotspot for the younger crowd, but if that rumour was right, the younger crowd from then had probably hit fifty ages ago.

However, this did not change the fact that this place paid him the best for his time. The owners must have been making so much profit by the corners they cut, that they didn't mind paying their employees a little extra (in a place like this, anyone would quit without a little bonus, what with the constant harassment).

However, even with the extra pay, employees usually quit after a month or so of working this place.

Phthonos had been working here three years now.

It was a lot to bear with.

However, the years he had spent working amongst these same drunk children had earned him credit with his bosses. He was respected enough, occasionally got a nice bonus, and got to keep any tips (and considering the same people came in every night, those bonds formed did help earn him some good money). Though they had refused to raise his hourly rate.

However, he wasn't complaining.

He was young, inexperienced, no college education, grew up in a lower class family.

Who would trust a kid like that in a respectable establishment?

Not many.

While he could have waited for better opportunities (or continued looking for better jobs after he got this one), Phthonos had decided that it wasn't worth the risk.

After all, he wasn't looking after his own future.

He had come to terms with never reaching his dreams the day he turned 13.

However, now, ten years later, at the age of 23, he had a son to look after.

Six years old, just starting school.

Ando Madoka.

Kid definitely had his father's temper.

Hopefully he'd somehow turn out smarter than both of his parents.

Not a party girl like his mother had been.

And with luck, smart enough to realise he's worth more than a few compliments and promise that's bound to be broken.

Much unlike his father.

Maybe he'd be more than just a cute face too.

Cute may get you a pity fuck from a pretty girl, but it doesn't amount to much in the long run.

Once or twice, Phthonos had considered the option of giving Madoka up, mostly when he was younger, but he was more than aware that his family would have had nothing to do with him if he had done that.

It was give him up, or take him in.

His mother hadn't wanted him.

They were both young, she couldn't be blamed.

He did what his family had expected him to do, despite the lingering fear of failing this child.

Now, years later, he did all he could just to keep a roof over their head.

This was starting to not be enough.

Living expenses just kept rising.

It seemed like he might be forced to move back in with his father (and consequentially his new spouse and their kid).

He didn't like the thought.

Yet, the only other choice he had was to bring someone _else_ into their home.

Someone who could start helping with the bills.

A roommate.

Yet, he had few friends, most from high school, and none that he would trust around his son.

How could he ever begin to trust a stranger either?

Madoka was young, still just a baby to him.

What if this potential roommate did something to hurt his child? What if Phthonos wasn't around?

He didn't want to so much as start thinking about such things.

Which made him rather lucky for the rambunctious couple that spilled through the doors.

He was taken from his musings immediately.

This couple, younger than most of the dreary drunkards, was not something he had seen pass through here before.

Yet, they were not new to town.

Or at least, one of them wasn't.

The one he recognised, Jounouchi Katsuya.

A guy two years his senior back in high school.

He would have liked to say that had hadn't paid much attention to him, but that much would be a blatant lie.

Aside from being the best friend of the very famous _King of Games, Mutou Yuugi_ , he had also acted as a pain in the neck for a guy Phthonos had, at the time, very much despised.

That hatred was gone now, as was the admiration that Jounouchi had earned through it.

Now, he was nothing short of an annoying patron, and definitely nothing more.

He was quick to cast his eyes away from them.

He wouldn't bother unless they became a bigger problem or he recieved complaints.

No point in possibly pissing them off and costing his employers some paying customers.

He resumed cleaning his work station.

Always look busy.

Although that wont keep the customers from asking for a drink or sympathy, it would keep any roaming bosses happier than they would be if he was merely standing there.

They hardly came down during business hours (neither enjoyed the atmosphere or crowd their bar drew in), but they could show up, which was all the information that he needed to stay busy.

After sometime, eventually, the guy Phthonos had earlier seen entering with Jounouchi came up to him.

As was expected.

They were in a bar.

He was the only bartender actually doing his job (the other guy had laid himself on the floor behind the counter).

They'd want drinks.

The guy ordered something so plain, Phthonos couldn't even be bothered to recite the name in his head.

He couldn't even begin to count the amount of times he had been asked for that same cheap drink since he started working there.

Little did this guy know, this already watered down beverage had been watered down even more by one of his bosses.

Another cheap attempt to save on money and cheat their clients.

It probably didn't have enough alcohol in the entire bottle to get a man drunk.

Although, honestly, Phthonos wouldn't know much about that, he hadn't been out drinking since high school.

The guy gave his thanks, along with what was possibly the strangest smile.

No specific words quite worked in his favour to describe it.

Yet, this had caused bits of his face to show involuntary disgust.

Luckily, by that point, the guy had been turned around.

Phthonos could have sworn he'd seen _**genuine** **happiness**_ in that face, and to see that in a dump like this? It was _unsettling_.

He didn't know whether to be concered for the stranger, or the guy he was with.

Either way, he definitely wasn't going to willingly start idle chat with that guy.

As he turned, this was just in time to see his coworker rise from the floor.

This wasn't a normal occurance, as that guy typically sat there all evening.

He was kin to one of the owners.

Kid didn't think he could be fired, and so far, he hadn't been.

He stretched, yawned.

"Going on my break, I'll be back."

In other words: _" This place is yours for the night, I'll be back at the end of my shift."_

 ** _"Gotcha."_**

There was no point in calling him out on it.

There was a clear bias leaning in his favour.

Phthonos knew what battles to pick.

He couldn't wait for the day his boss finally got some sense and fired this brat.

Though that day probably wouldn't come, he could dream.

The rest of the evening carried on, and on.

The only thing of note to happen: a rather grisely breakup between some mid to late 30s looking guy and a girl who was honestly nowhere near old enough to get in this place.

Poor girl must have promised to be hist date if he'd get her a drink or two.

Yet, with whatever happened, it was clear that he had done _something_ to piss her off.

Maybe he had forgotten common manners and any sense of decency? Like everyone else there?

Or had he decided that after he got her a few drinks, she'd have to go home with him (which was essentially the same thing, but more specific)?

Either way, it hadn't worked out well for him.

After the scene, the guy moved to the bar.

He was a regular.

He ordered something strong paired with a bit of sympathy.

"I don't get it, Ando-chan, why do they always run?"

Although he did hate to let this scum continue thinking he wasn't the problem, the guy did leave a nice tip whenever Phthonos validated his already existing beliefs.

He was never going to change anyway.

 ** _"I dunno, you're such a great guy, Kobayashi-sama, any girl would be lucky to have you."_**

Temporarily, Phthonos forgot about his cleaning duties and leaned over the bar, in order to more convincingly portray his definitely not faked concern and interest in his friend/customer.

As expected, the dirtbag decided to press for specifics.

As if he _needed_ the reassurance, even though it was clear from the start that his image of himself was much too high to be crashed down so easily.

"I don't know what that means, can you explain it to me?"

Phthonos absolutely hated the faux pathetic tone of voice that this man used. As if this was a joke meant only to trick a young child and no one else.

Did he really think so low of Phthonos?

He was smarter than that.

Yet, he played along, as he always did.

 ** _"You're kind, for starters."_**

A huge lie.

Yet, Phthonos was leaning on his elbows now, a large, and innocent grin plastered over his features, much like that of a doll (yet maybe slightly more believable (despite how much more untrue the emotions were), it was fooling this guy).

The guy looked up at this, his pleading, pathetic eyes glazed over with the look of a winner.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

This guy was only acting.

Phthonos rolled his eyes as playfully (and yet, as sarcastically) as he could.

 ** _"And you're good looking. You're fun to talk with when you're not upset, and. . . hmmm, you must be successful at work too, right?"_**

Phthonos was more than aware that this wasn't the case, but he knew just what this guy wanted to hear from him.

If he was doing so well, why would he frequent a place like this?

 ** _"You're a depenable guy_** (no) **_and you seem really trustworthy_** (not in the slightest) ** _."_**

The once pathetic mass of tears and self-pity seemed to make a full recovery at that exact moment.

He stood himself up, as if he meant to leave, and just that was expected of him, and yet, he remained glued to his spot. A grin, far worse than what Phthonos had seen earlier, spread from ear to ear.

"With all that talk, one would think you liked me, Ando-chan."

Good lord.

Please, **_don't_**.

 ** _"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I can take it back?"_**

"Don't bother. . . ,"

Please, **_stop_**.

"You don't have to hide it."

He was **_done._**

"I like you too."

And now he had to shut this down before it got any further, because there wasn't a chance he'd sit through flirting with this sleeze every night he couldn't find a fuckbuddy.

 ** _Hell no._**

Yet, before he could speak, a rather _generous_ tip was placed in front of Phthonos.

"Thank you, for putting up with me."

How guys like that got off on throwing so much money around, Phthonos would never understand, but he would understand people who sat in his situation, who would take said money, knowing full well what demons it called.

 ** _"I should be the one thanking you, Kobayashi-sama, you make working here fun."_**

Wasn't he glad that the women in his family had been so gifted in dramatics that it had somehow found it's way into his small skillset?

Yet, even now, while their interaction seemed to be at its end, the trash held its ground.

"I know you're not supposed to. . ."

What more could he want?

Phthonos had played along with everything thus far, what could he possibly ask for now?

"But I was hoping you'd be interested in taking me home tonight."

He really didn't have a _fucking **ounce**_ of **_shame_** in his entire being, did he?

 ** _"I'm sorry, but I really shouldn't-"_**

Phthonos did not get the chance to finish this.

"If it would help you feel any better about breaking the rules, I could offer you compensation."

If earlier hadn't been too far, this definitely cut it.

Did he really just insinuate that Phthonos would agree to let this man bed him for any price?

 ** _Fuck no._**

 ** _"I'm really sorry, but I could lose my job."_**

This much was far from the truth.

His bosses didn't care what he did with the patrons.

So long as they kept coming back, he was safe.

"They can't be paying you so well here, money must be tight for you, I'm only offering to help with whatever expenses you can't cover."

Phthonos, momentarily rendered speechless, stared at this man with nothing short of fear.

Sure, this place was crummy, but for all this guy knew, Phthonos was fine.

Really the only reason he was having trouble with expenses was Madoka's schooling.

Surely he couldn't have known about Phthonos' situation?

Yet, even so, he was slowly, but surely, falling behind on payments. He needed more _time_ to take action, and right now, _time_ seemed to be the very **_last_** thing on his side.

Maybe this was meant to be some **twisted** luck?

Get rid of your worries at the price of your _morality_?

 ** _Fuck._**

Really, what choice did he have?

His son did come before everything else.

(Although maybe this had to do more with a stubborn pride which would only abandon him with a stranger, and leave him hopelessly combative with his family?)

He couldn't move back in with his father.

He couldn't even stomach asking for help.

It was _this_ or **that**.

And in all honesty, this seemed easier.

He closed his eyes, squeezed them shut for a brief moment, then levelled his gaze at the person who had made him this offer.

 ** _"I get off in two hours."_**


End file.
